Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 6 : Fall 2010 | Page 49

Secret #3: It’s organic so it must be healthy.

This one is simple. Organic junk food is still junk
food! Don’t be fooled by the “o” word – just because a
product is heralded as being organic doesn’t necessarily
mean it’s healthy. Granted, some foods, particularly fruits
and vegetables, are generally better for you in their organic
state because they are not covered in pesticides or pumped
full of artificial hormones or preservatives. But even a
candy bar can be organic if the ingredients originated from
farms or factories that adhere to the FDA’s fairly minimal
guidelines. The bottom line is an empty calorie from a $1
bag of chips is the same as an empty calorie from a $3 bag
of organic chips.
Secret #4: But this candy is low in fat.

There is a lot of psychology in marketing food,
including persuading a person to think something is
good for them even when they know it isn’t. Admit it –
you’ve probably purchased the licorice because the words
“A Low Fat Candy!” appear in big letters on the front of
the package and that is surely a better snack than all those
‘fattening’ candies, right? Don’t beat yourself up…you’re
not alone. Be aware that marketers will highlight what
a food isn’t (e.g. low-fat, no-salt, cholesterol free, low in
sugar, etc.) in hopes that you won’t see what the food is.
When a manufacturer removes or reduces the amount of
fat, sugar, salt, etc. in a product it is generally replaced with
ingredients that are often equally unhealthy in order to
achieve a taste that consumers will find appealing. As for
the licorice, it’s made mostly of ingredients you’d be better
off not eating - corn syrup, refined flour, sugar, cornstarch,
partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, artificial flavoring,
preservatives, and red dye…but hey, it’s low in fat!
Secret #5: Who needs a multi-vitamin when there are
breakfast pastries?

One of the most common food label claims is
that the food is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
Occasionally, this statement is true because the ingredients
are actually good for you. But, far too often, the nutrients
have been artificially added to highly processed foods that
otherwise have poor nutritional value. For example, there
is a popular breakfast pastry that is an ‘excellent source of 7
essential vitamins and minerals’ making it seem like a good
way to start your day. However, a closer look at the nutrition
label shows that the pastry is loaded with fat, sugar, and
calories. “It’s best to get your vitamins and minerals from
foods that are naturally rich in nutrients, like fruits and
vegetables, rather than enriched foods,” said Malone.
THE FACTS

These and numerous other food industry secrets can
sabotage even the most health-conscious grocery shopper,
but there are some ways you can boost your health through
good food choices:

•Check the serving size: This will help you more
accurately interpret the rest of the information on the
nutrition label.

•Check for saturated and trans fats: Lowering your
intake of all kinds of fats can help you to lose weight, but the
saturated and trans fats are the ones that contribute to heart

disease. If you
see
partially
hydrogenated
oils anywhere in
the
ingredients
list, then the food
contains at least some
trans fats.
Choose
foods with less than 5
grams of total fat and less
than 3 grams of saturated
fat per serving.

•Understand
the
daily value: These are the
numbers that tell you what
percentage of the recommended
daily nutrient is in each serving
based on a 2,000 calorie per day
diet. For instance, if the daily value
number on the sodium line of the
nutrition facts is 23%, that means that
if you eat one serving of that food, you
wi